Thursday, August 23, 2012

Last Friday I had the opportunity to attend the Sauder Village Rug Hooking Exhibit and meet my online friend Lauren from Rugs & Pugs Blog.

We met up in the parking lot prior to the opening of the show and exchanged gifts. Lauren gifted me with a very generous stash of wools.

And she made me one of her spoon necklaces with what else on it but 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets! The handle of the spoon says "WOOL". Aren't these great? Lauren, I LOVE them.

We had a good laugh when we saw each other's bags. I gifted her one of my antique clothespin baskets - the legs of the basket are the antique clothespins. I put it in a maroon bag with a piece of crow tissue paper. Guess what she had wrapped my wool up in?

We had such a nice day, enjoyed lunch at The Barn restaurant on the Sauder Complex and drooled over many gorgeous hooked rugs. My hooking journey to date has been pretty lonely - I took one class several years ago and have worked at it on my own since. It was so nice to have Lauren imparting her rug hooking knowledge to me as we walked around and looked at the rugs. Our taste in rug hooking is very similar and liked many of the same things. My goal for the coming year is to attend an actual hooking event with Lauren.

I've been very busy weaving baskets the last week and need to make my rounds and catch up with all of you.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

We've been enjoying our last few weeks before school starts. The boys set up the badminton net in the backyard and I'm constantly being challenged to a game. My youngest can no longer be beat by this Mom! I think I laugh on the court more than hit the birdie. There is no mercy shown to me as either their Mother or as a "girl".

Earlier today, I finished this stitchery into a pillow for Halloween. It's a Stacy Nash pattern - "If the broom fits". The pattern does not call for it to be finished this way, but I happened to have a perfect size pillow form.

I would like to pass this pattern along to someone else who would like to stitch it. If you'd like it, leave me a comment on this post. I'll draw a name on Sunday night and get it right in the mail to you.

I received a pleasant surprise in the mail earlier this week - A beautiful hand stitched kitchen towel. It matches my kitchen PERFECTLY. Thank you Linda. You all know Linda Claus - of Parker's Paradise fame.

Yesterday we celebrated "Happy Lucky Day" for our gray cat, Shadow aka Graybee. 2 years ago yesterday my husband went into our local Town & Country store. The store has cages with kittens and dogs from the county humane society. When he arrived back home, he announced "there is a little gray kitten at Town & Country". That's all that needed said, we all piled into the van and went to visit. Were we even looking for a kitten?

5 bodies went to the store and 6 came home. I'm not sure that Frito thinks that August 7 is a Lucky Day. He maintains that his opinion wasn't sought prior to the adoption. We'll celebrate his Lucky Day on October 31.

Shadow is the perfect name for him, it started out due to his color, but what we didn't know is how social he is. Every morning when we get up, he's right there to greet us, often he has to be carried downstairs or we'd trip over him. He hoards things, stray pieces of my basket reed and any kind of bag that is crinkly are his favorites. He stashes his treasures in the kids' rooms.